Can opener



May 21 1929.

H. J. YEDLUND CAN OPENER Filed Dec. 8, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR(Heir/ y J. $111M ATTORNEYS y 1929- H. J. EDLUND 01m OPENER Filed Dec.8, 1927 2 Shets-Sh'eet a INVENTOR JZvwy WITNESSES -1 M4, W )6, IATTORNEYS Patented May 21,

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Application filed December a, 1927. Serial no. 288,626.

This invention relates to can openers. of that type which afiordsfacilities for rotating a can on a substantially horizontalsupport incontact with a pendant cutting blade to effect cutting of the can top. I

Can openers of the type referred to have been provided I with verticallyadjustable standards associated with the horizontal members forsupporting the cans, the standards carrying the blades for cuttingthestops of the cans. Heretofore, it has been proposed to feed the cansto the cutting blades by means of a plurality of cooperative toothedrollers or Wheels'arranged in asin- 'gle can opener to engage withspaced por-- tions of the can body so that actuation of the feed rollersor wheels of the can opener will turn the can with the top of the can incontact with the cutting blade.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a horizontalsupporting plate on which a can may rest and a standard associated withthe can supporting member and. movable along a line which is inclinedslightly from the vertical, the standard carrying a cutting blade forpiercing and cutting the can top and for rolling the edge that isprovided by the cutting action of the blade in the can top so that theedge of the openin defined by the cut will be con-, tinuoudly smooth,together with a single rotor turnable about the axial line of thestandard and having teeth in its edge extending parallel to the axialline of the standard for engaging with the outer wall. of the body ofthe can adjacent to the upper end of the can and for not only causingturning of the cam on' its support but also for feeding the can top tothe cutting blade when the rotor is turned. The improved can opener alsoincludes, simple, easily operable and positively acting means foroperatingv the rotor and for actuating the cuttingblade supporting meansof the device so that the cutting blade will be caused to pierce the cantop at a point somewhat removed from the marginal edge of the can topand then will be moved into cutting engagement with the can top nearlyto the marginal edge of the can top, whereby the entire top of the canwill be removed when the can has been rotated through 360 in engagementwith the cutting blade.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings; nevertheless it to be understood that the invention is notconfined to the disclosure being susceptible of such changes andmodificatlons as shall define no material departure from the salientfeatures of the invention as expressed in) the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical section of a can openerconstructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along theline 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Figure 4 is a rear View in elevation of the can opener,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the cutting mechanism perse,

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of the can opener showing the parts indetached relation,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section similar to Fig. 5, andshowing a. modified form of the device.

The improved can opener includes a bracket which comprises a plate 1formed with an integral downwardly inclined mar ginal flange 2 which isjoined integrally at one end of the plate 1 to the upper end portion ofa sleeve 3. The sleeve 3 has the lower end portion thereof formed with alatthe flange 2 of the plate 1 rests upon the uppersurface of the table8, the plate 1 will be secured in horizontal position on the tabletively to the table 8 while the sleeve 3 will be supported at the edgeof the table. The can opener can also be fastened to a wall.

r The bore 9 of the sleeve 3 constitutes a guiding and retaining openingin which a post 10 may slide longitudinally, the post 10 beingnon-circular in cross sectional contour and the bore 9 beingcorrespondingly configured in cross section so that the post 10 willbeheld against turning about its longitudinal axis in the bore 9. 7 It isto be oh- 8 and will be held against movement rela served at thispointithat'the bore 9 is inand teeth 16 in its periphery. The teeth 16extend parallel to the axis ofthe rotor clined slightly frogngthevertical in a plane which is substantially tangent to the bodyof a can11 when the latter is. disposed on I the plate 1 close to the post :10,as shown in 'Figs. 1 and 4, the inclination of the post 10 p I beingslightly toward the right hand side of: Figure 4, as shown ingreatlyexaggerated form in that view. i V

The post 10 is. joined integrally or otherwise at its upper end .toahousing 12, the lower end portion of which is formed to provide atransverse chamber 13. The chamber 13 is open at the side of the housingwhich is nearest to the can 11 and may also be open at its opposite sideas shown. A rotor 14 is a disk having a screw threaded axial bore 14and'have the walls thereof lyin in planes 'wliich extend obliquelyto'radii o the rotor 14 so that these teeth will positively engage thebody of the can '11 in such manner as to impart a. turning movement tothe can when the-rotor 14 is turned ina clock-wise direction with theperiphery thereof in contact with the upper end portion of the bodyofthe can 11.

The housing 12 has a socket. 17 I formedin' the bottom wall of thechamber 13 and also has an opening 18 in the top wall of" the chamber-13 in alignment with the socket 17 and a larger opening 19 in the topwall of the housing 12 in alignment with the opening 18 and the socket17. A shaft 20 extends through the openings 19 and 18 and has a reducedlower end-portion 21 journaled in the socket 17, this reduced lower endor- .tion extending through the bore 15 of the rotor 14 and beingprovided for part of its length with screw threads-22 engaged with thescrew threaded wall of the bore 15 of the rotor so that rotation of theshaft 20.

about its axis will cause a like movement. of the rotor 14. The rotor 14protrudes from the chambers 13 at the side of the housing 12 which isnearest the side of the can 11. The housing 12 has the. upper endportion thereof formed to. produce a lateral: extension at the same sideof the post 10 as the plate 1. This lateral extension comprises a pairof horizontally spaced ears 23 and an upper web portion 24. As best seenin Fig. 4,- the space within the upper partof-t-he housing 12 is-in opencommunicationwith the space between the cars 23. Anarm 25:

- ofa bell-crank lever 26, which is fulcrnmed .on a horizontal pin 27that is supported at its ends in aligned openings in the ears 23,

extends into the space within the upper part of the housing .12. Thearn125 has forks ,28 at its inner :end adapted to slidingly embrace theupper end portion of the shaft 20 and to rest upon a washer 29 whichslides on es-the shaft 20. expansionspring 30 of coilformation encirclestheshaft 20 between the washer 29sand the top-wall of the chamber 13 andurges the washer 29. and the arm 25 of the bell-crank 26 upwardly withinthe space in the upper part of the housing'12.

The otherarin of the bell'crank lever 26 is indicated at 31 and dependsalongside the housing 12 at thesame side of the post 10 as the plate Inearly to the level of the rotor'14. The arm31 carries a pendant cutterblade 32. Screws-33 or other fastening means secure the blade 32-flatwi'se against the Wall of the arm 31 that is nearest to thehousing-12 so that the cutter blade 32 will depend between the arm 31and the housand below the level of the rotor 14. The

ing 12 below thelower end of the arm 31 r depending lower end portion ofthe cutter" blade 32 tapers to a sharp point at 34 and has oppositelybeveled sideedges so that the, blade can be reversed from side to sideon the arm 31 when one of such edges has become dull. The blade 32 isadapted to pierce the top ofthe can 11 at a slight distance from the.marginal edge of the can top and when the.

bell-crank lever has been actuated'in a manner which will be -presentlydescribed t-he cutting blade will move radially of the can in'cutting'engagement with'the can top al-;

most to the marginal edge of the'can top so' will be cut substantiallythat the can top along its marginal edge when thecan. is

rotated in engagement with the cutting blade.

A pair of cars 39 extend from the housing 12 in straddling relation tothe lower end portions of the cuttingblade 32 and the arm 31 and tendtoPrevent edgewise swinging movement of the. arm 31 without any ap 1preciable stress being imposed. on the pivot element 27 on'which thebell, crank 26 is fulcrumed. A probably more important function of thecars 39 is to serve as a: stop for engaging with the upper edge of thecan" which is being turned in engage'ment'with the blade 32 by reason ofthe operation of lug 43 on the shaft 20 at the upper end of .the latter.The cam ears'42 are pivotally attached-to the-lug 43v by a horizontalpivot pin 44,- and bear against the topof the plunger 40. When thecrankhandle 41is inthe position indicated by the dotted lines in Figure'1, the cam-ears 42 will hold the plunger 40 at the limit of itsdownward movement against the action of the e an- S1011 spring 30 andthe arm 31 of the bell crank and thecutting blade 32 will be dis posedin the positions indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 or in otherwords at the limit of their swinging movement away from the housing 13and rotor 14. A flange 45 at the upper end of the plunger 40 serves toproduce a relatively large bearing surface on the plunger for the camears 42.

In use, the can which is to be opened is placed on the plate 1 with theupper end portion of the body thereof in contact with the teeth 16 onthe periphery of the rotor 14 and with the shank of the blade 32 hearingagainst the can top at a slight distance from the marginal wall of thecan top, the crank handle 41 being in its raised position at this time.A slight blow or pressure on the top of the handle will cause thecutting blade to penetrate the can top. The handle-41 then is swung fromthe dotted line position of Figure 1 downwardly to the full lineposition of Figures 1 and 4 and the pressure on the plunger 40 will berelieved so that the spring 30 will be permitted to function to causeupward movement of the plunger and consequent movement of thecutting-blade radially outward in cutting engagement with a can topnearly to the marginal edge of the latter. This outward movement of thecutting blade also will tend to force the upper end portion of the canbody firmly against the teeth of the rotor 14. Manipula tion of thehandle 41 to cause rotation of the shaft 20 and the rotor 14 will causethe can to be turned on the plate 1 in engagement with the cutting bladeand the entire can top vwill be removed by the action ofthe cuttingblade. Since the post 10 is inclined slightly from the vertical, therotation of the rotor 14 in a clockwise direction with the teeth thereofin engagement with the upper end portion of the body of the can 11 willnot only rotate the can 11 but will tend to feed the can upward to theblade. It will be understood that the post 10 slides freely in the boreof the sleeve 3 so that the mechanism at the upper end of the post andthe post can be raised as a unit to permit acan to be placed on theplate 1 or removed therefrom when desired. Cans of various sizes, shapesand constructions can be opened by means of the device quickly, easilyand in a uniform manner.

The slightly modified construction-which is exhibited in Figure 7includes a washer 50 which is disposed on the shaft 20in superimposedrelation to a rotor 14*. The latter is' identical in essential respectswith the rotor 14. The washer 50 is of greater diameter than the rotor14 and extends beyondthe periphery of the rotor underneath the lower endof the depending arm 31 ofthe bell crank 26. The blade 32 is secured at51 against the outer face of the arm 31 of the bell crank and of course,depends below the arm 31= The expansion spring 30 may bear at its lowerend against, the washer:50 and pressed upward on the washer 29 on whichthe forks 28 of the arm 25 of the bell crank 26 rests. The spring- 30thus W111 function to swing the arm 31 inward until the depending lowerend portion of the blade 32 being slightly different in minor detailsfrom the housing 12. The operation ofthe form a of the device exhibitedinFigure 7 is identical in essential respects with the of the firstformof the device. A disk 60 is mounted on the shaft 20 below the housing 12and in contact with the rotatable element 14. This desk or washer ismade of steeland slightly greater in diameter thanthe roller in order topermit the knife blade to rest on the periphery of the washer, providingthe necessary clearance between the knife and roller. The washerrevolves when the handle is operated so that in whatever position thehandle'is stopped the knife will fall to rest on'the' periphery of thewasher, -thereby leaving the proper clearance.

Bumpers 61 are mounted in'the marginal flange 2 and in close associationwith they operation sidewalls of the movable shaft 10 andupon which areadapted to res't the pins 62 received within any one of a number ofperforations 63 in the member 10. This provides for a support formaintaining the standard 10 in apredetermined position when the knifeblade 32 has penetrated the top of the can and the'handle 41 is. beingoperated. A chain 64 is connected to any fixed part of the mechanism andalso to the pins 62 to prevent loss of the same.

1. A can opener comprising a table having a passage inclined to thevertical, a post slidably mounted in the passage, a housing carried bythe upper end of the post, a pivotally mounted cutting blade in thehousing, a rotor having teeth in the periphery 120 -clined at an angleto the vertical. I

2. A can opener comprising a table having a passage inclined to thevertical, a post slid-- ably mounted in the passage, a housing carriedby the upper end of the post, a pivotally mounted cutting blade in thehousing, a rotor haringteeth in the peri hery thereof supported on thepost, a was or associated with the rotor for maintaining the cuttingblade in'spaced relation with the teeth of 5 the rotor, means forrotating the rotor, the

edges of the teeth being inclined at an angle to the vertical, bumpersmounted in close association with the post, a pin carried by the postadapted to rest on the bumper for maintaining the post in apredetermined po-.

sition.

' 3. Acan opener comprising a post, a pendant cutting blade carried bythe post 1aterallyfof the upper end portion of the post 15 and adaptedtopierce and cut the can top,

and a rotor carried by the post in position to engage with the body ofthe can adjacent to theupper endof the latter and on rotation to turnthe can in engagement with the cutting blade and to feed the can top tothe cutting edge of the blade, teeth on the rotor tated. HENRY J.EDLUND.

